Friday, May 11, 2007

a lovely early summer morning in chapel hill means that i had to force myself into my office to get anything done. work so far this a.m.: 1. read someoneelse's dissertation chapter on alcott and feel the same old frustration that arises when you realize someone got there first, and perhaps, did it better than you could hope to. at the very least, they've used the same sources you use, and it's hard to resist the urge to feel defeated. 2. worried that "new organizational scheme" is no scheme at all but rather a desultory collection of random speculation. 3. affirmed that emily's hoodie sweater is indeed the only garment one needs when writing a dissertation.

3 comments:

Maura said...

oh anne. stop fretting. you just need to write. the argument will become your own, esp. now that you know that this is in existence. no worries. stop researching that swiss guy, pump yourself up by thinking about how smart you are, and churn some pages out. you'll feel better. remember: the dissertation does not have to be perfecto. :)

Maura said...

and you'll come to new conclusions and ideas once you start writing that will send it in new directions. you don't get certain ideas until you write. good organization or not.

NYC said...

Here's hoping that sweater is the only thing you've got on, baby....